Saturday, 10 May 2014

In case of doubt, always choose growth. Personal development is seldom constant and predictable. The process of self-improvement is essentially irregular and messy. There are many variations, but the theme is one

"The principle is one, but its manifestations are many," wrote Chinese
philosopher Cheng-Ha a thousand years ago. If we had to establish the
simplest possible formula for maximizing happiness, it would probably
contain just one instruction. In fact, a single word would suffice:
growth.

In case of doubt, always choose growth

Some define self-development as becoming more of what you
are and reaching for more ambitious goals. In pure biological terms,
growth implies dilatation or enlargement. Paralysis, most of the time,
involves some form of pathology. Stasis is equivalent to death.

Increasing
one's ability to live is the fundamental driver for animals and plants.
For humans, extending our breadth and depth of experience is the only
goal that can be all-encompassing. If you are looking for a permanent
and comprehensive recipe to make the best of your life, growth is all
you need.

Personal development is seldom constant and predictable

The unpredictability of personal development is what
makes it so difficult to pursue successfully. Growth frequently takes
place in areas where it is least expected. On the other hand,
concentrating all efforts on developing a certain skill might,
paradoxically, constrain overall personal growth.

How does
self-development actually take place? In which way can it be
facilitated? Why must each man follow a different path towards personal
growth? These questions have occupied psychologists for years. Here are some ideas that you can use.

When you
learn a foreign language, your knowledge does not increase following a
precise pattern. By memorizing 20 new words per day, your ability to
communicate does not expand at a fixed rate, for example, at 1% per day.

Even with sustained study and practice, your progress will now and then
stagnate. Sometimes, you will even forget words that you had already
learned. Finally, after extensive effort, one day, you will reach a
point where you can speak that language fluently.

The process of self-improvement is essentially irregular and messy

Still today, despite decades of research, there is
no guaranteed method to achieve growth. Some focus on a limited set of
skills and try to develop them to perfection. Others prefer to learn
bits and pieces on various subjects and put them together in original
ways. Using commonplace elements to produce unexpected combinations is a
great development strategy. Breakthrough ideas result, on many
occasions, out of curiosity rather than from the organized approach of
research laboratories.

What experience seems to prove is that
understanding the varying speed of self-development is a prerequisite of
peace of mind. Pushing the human body beyond its capabilities does not
tend to accelerate, but to hinder growth. Do not try to run too fast and
make sure not to carry too much weight.

The important lesson is
that taking daily steps in your chosen field is the best formula to make
yourself ready for growth. When opportunities materialize, you will be
able to seize them. More often than not, regular work and steadiness of purpose lead
to a better life. There are many variations, but the theme is one.

No comments:

Post a Comment

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of eight books about rational living, including "When Everything Fails, Try This" (2009), "Rationality Is the Way to Happiness" (2009), "The Philosophy of Builders: How to Build a Great Future with the Pieces from Your Past" (2010), "The 10 Principles of Rational Living" (2012), "Rational Living, Rational Working: How to Make Winning Moves When Things Are Falling Apart" (2013), "Consistency: The Key to Permanent Stress Relief" (2014), "On Becoming Unbreakable: How Normal People Become Extraordinarily Self-Confident" (2015), and "Thriving in difficult times: Twelve lessons from Ancient Greece to improve your life today" (2016).